Main geochemical characteristics and key biogeochemical carbon processes in the East China Sea

Research related to carbon geochemistry and biogeochemistry in the East China Sea is reviewed in this paper. The East China Sea is an annual net sink for atmospheric CO, and a large net source of dissolved inorganic carbon to the ocean. The sea absorbs CO, from the atmosphere in spring and summer and releases it in autumn and winter. The East China Sea is a CO, sink in summer because Changjiang River freshwater flows into it. The net average sea-air interface carbon flux of the East China Sea is estimated to be about 4.3 X 10(6) t/y. Vertical carbon transport is mainly in the form of particulate organic carbon in spring; more than 98% of total carbon is transported in this form in surface water, and the number exceeds 68% in water near the bottom. In the southern East China Sea, the average particulate organic carbon inventory was about one-tenth that of the dissolved organic carbon. Research indicates that the southern Okinawa Trough is an important site for particulate organic carbon export from the shelf. The annual cross-shelf exports are estimated to be 414 and 106 Gmol/y for dissolved organic carbon and particulate organic carbon, respectively. Near-bottom transport could be the key process for shelf-to-deep sea export of biogenic and lithogenic particles.

内蒙古农牧交错区典型草地和农田生态系统碳通量的研究

涡度相关技术是唯一能直接测定大气与植被间CO2通量的标准方法。随着全球变化研究的深入，人类活动干扰下陆地生态系统碳通量研究越来越受到关注，对草地生态系统的研究更是备受关注。本研究选择位于内蒙古典型的农牧交错区——多伦县的典型克氏针茅草地和被开垦的农田为研究对象，利用涡度相关技术，结合各环境因子，在不同时间尺度上探讨了控制内蒙古草地生态系统碳通量可能的生理机制。利用一年多净生态系统CO2气体交换（NEE）通量的观测，量化了这个地区草地生态系统的碳储备量，并进一步阐明了开垦对该区域生态系统物质能量流动的影响。我们还利用Keeling同位素曲线与微气象技术相结合的方法把生态系统夜间呼吸区分为自养呼吸和异养呼吸;同时利用同化箱式法，把草地生态系统白天群落呼吸进行了区分，进一步了解了不同生态过程对净碳通量的贡献。 结果表明，控制该地区生态系统碳通量主要的环境因子是土壤含水量（VWC）和温度。两个生态系统的植被叶面积指数（LAI）和生物量在非干旱季都要高于干旱季，因而两个生态系统在非干旱季不同环境因子的不同梯度下的NEEmax都比干旱季的要高。两个生态系统NEE的最大日变幅和日最大值在非旱季与旱季十分接近，说明即使土壤水分有所改善，但由于这个地区贫瘠的土壤限制了生态系统的净碳交换量而使这两个生态系统的固碳能力依旧不高。无论是旱季还是非旱季，草地生态系统呼吸的温度敏感系数Q10都随土壤含水量的增加而增加，这除了水分的促进作用外，另外就是生长旺季根生物量的增加。而在两个生长季里农田生态系统的Q10都随土壤含水量的变化不是很规则，这主要是因为农作改变了植被类型和土壤的物理结构从而引起生态系统微环境、微生物活性以及根生物量的改变，结果影响生态系统呼吸对温度的敏感性。 在连续两个生长季里，两个生态系统碳通量随季节的变化都有明显的日变化，7月份的日变化最大，而且农田生态系统的NEE日变幅大于草地生态系统NEE的日变幅。两个生态系统每个月NEE的日最大值都出现在上午8~9点左右，而生态系统的呼吸（RE）的日最大值都发生在下午14~16点左右。冬季两个生态系统各组分碳通量的日进程几乎都没有差异，系统基本处于碳平衡状态。进入春季，幼小的植被限制了生态系统的碳同化。期间的耕作促进了土壤CO2的大量释放，同时较频繁的降雨不仅影响植被吸收光以进行光合固定碳，同时也进一步加大了农田CO2的释放，结果农田生态系统释放的CO2比草地生态系统多。夏季，两个生态系统都是吸收碳的库，农田生态系统因较高的LAI和较低的生态系统呼吸温度敏感性使其NEP远高于草地生态系统的NEP，是一个较强的碳库。秋末，草地生态系统几乎处于碳平衡的状态。农作物的收割，使得大量含不溶性物质较低枯叶和秸秆残留在地里，农田生态系统呼吸释放的碳量显著高于同期草地释放的碳量。通过2005～2006年对两个生态系统碳通量进行一整年的观测，发现两个生态系统年净固碳量相当，草地净固定71.3 g C m-2，农田净固定64.4 g C m-2。但秋季的收获使农田生态系统近70%的生物量被收走，降低了该系统的固碳能力。 为进一步了解不同生态过程对净碳通量的贡献量，我们利用浓度梯度-同位素法与微气象技术相结合的方法，初步将生态系统呼吸区分为自养呼吸和异养呼吸。草地生态系统在生长旺季自养呼吸占总呼吸80%以上，而农田生态系统在生长季阶段异养呼吸所占整个生态呼吸的比例从60%上升至作物成熟时的80%以上。降雨不仅显著增加草地生态系统呼吸的释放量，而且主要是显著增加了异养呼吸的释放量。此外，我们还利用同化箱式法对草地生态系统的群落呼吸进行区分，结果显示群落总呼吸（Re）有明显的季节变化，最高值在生长季中期。凋落物分解、土壤有机质呼吸、根呼吸和地上植被呼吸在整个生长季平均分别占总生态系统呼吸的19.4%、37.8%、9.8%和32.9%。构建各组分呼吸通量与温度的指数关系，结果显示根呼吸的温度敏感系数最大，土壤有机质的温度敏感性最低。降雨后首先促进了异养呼吸，随后植物的呼吸也开始变大，群落呼吸释放的最高峰出现在雨后第二天。 本研究初步分析了控制内蒙古农牧交错区草地生态系统碳通量的主要因子，量化了该区域草地生态系统的碳储备量，并进一步阐述了开垦对该区域生态系统碳通量的影响。同时尝试不同方法对生态系统碳通量进行了区分，得出了一些具有生态学意义的结果，为进一步探讨控制生态系统碳通量的生理机制提供了可能。

克氏针茅草原的碳通量与碳收支

植被和大气之间CO2通量的长期观测有助于理解陆地生态系统的碳循环及其控制机理，评价生态系统碳循环及其对未来气候变化的响应。本研究以中国北方克氏针茅草原为研究对象，以涡度相关法为主要技术手段，利用克氏针茅草原观测站碳通量的长期连续观测数据，探讨了环境因子在不同时间尺度上对克氏针茅草原光合生产力(GEP)、系统呼吸(Re)和净CO2交换(NEE)的影响，分析了克氏针茅草原碳通量的季节变化和年际碳收支动态。主要得到以下结论： (1) 温度和土壤水分是调控克氏针茅草原光响应曲线的关键环境因子。10-20oC是克氏针茅草原瞬时GEP的最适温度，15-20oC是日GEP的最适温度。GEP日总值随土壤水分的增加呈二次曲线关系，当土壤含水量(SWC)超过0.2 m3m-3时，GEP日总值不再增加。 (2) 克氏针茅草原Re同时受温度和土壤水分的控制。降雨脉冲对短期系统呼吸有激发作用。Lloyd & Taylor方程对Re的拟合效果好于指数方程。 (3) 克氏针茅草原表现出白天净碳吸收和夜间净碳释放的日变化特征，并且往往出现上午碳吸收强、下午碳吸收弱的不对称现象。降雨的季节分布通过SWC的季节变异间接影响克氏针茅草原NEE的季节变化。在日尺度上，NEE主要受温度和土壤水分的控制，10-20oC的空气温度有助于克氏针茅草原吸收CO2。在月尺度上，NEE主要受土壤水分的控制。 (4) 生长季的长度是决定克氏针茅草原源汇变化的关键因子。 (5) 克氏针茅草原的GEP、Re和NEE都具有非常明显的季节变化。冬季或干旱胁迫下量级较低，温暖和湿润季节的量级较高。干旱胁迫同时抑制植被的GEP和Re，对GEP的抑制强度更大，随着土壤水分的下降，不同尺度的NEE累积值逐渐向正值转变，即生态系统由碳汇转变为碳源。 (6) 克氏针茅草原2005年降雨量只有174mm，当年GEP和Re也是三年中最低的，只有101和169gCm-2yr-1;2006年降雨量为215mm，GEP和Re是三年中最强的，分别为149 和187gCm-2yr-1;2004年降雨量为297mm，接近多年平均，但大部分降雨发生在8、9月份，GEP和Re分别为141和190gCm-2yr-1。 (7) 克氏针茅草原在2004、2005和2006年碳收支分别为：49、68和37 gCm-2yr-1。未来全球气候的变暖可能对克氏针茅草原的碳汇功能产生负面影响，降雨的季节不均匀分布可能加强这种影响。

暖温带典型森林生态系统未来碳平衡的LPJ-GUESS模型模拟与分析

森林作为陆地生态系统的主体，在全球陆地碳循环中起着决定性作用。实测和模型研究均表明北半球的森林是重要的大气CO2汇，在缓解全球碳收支失衡中发挥着关键作用。过去几十年北半球所经历的显著气候变化，已经很大地改变了陆地生态系统的碳平衡状况。随着未来100年气候变化继续增大，对未来气候变化下森林生态系统碳平衡的预测研究就尤为重要。 北京山区森林属于典型的暖温带森林生态系统，前人对本区森林的植被特征、生态系统结构和功能、养分循环以及长期动态变化等都进行了深入的研究。然而长期的人类活动已使本区原生的地带性植被破坏殆尽。因此，对该区域森林生态系统碳平衡的模拟研究可以帮助我们认识其生态系统碳平衡变化特点及未来气候变化对其潜在的影响。 本研究采用LPJ-GUESS植被动态机理模型，利用IPCC于2000年发布的《排放情景特别报告》(SRES)的A2和B2两种情景下不同气候模式对华北地区未来100年温度和降水预测的平均值以及相应大气CO2浓度变化情景进行驱动，模拟北京山区未来100年暖温带森林生态系统的净初级生产力和碳平衡，尽可能真实地反映未来百年的变化趋势。通过比较当前和未来气候情景下北京山区以辽东栎（Quercus liaotungensis）为优势种的落叶阔叶林、以白桦（Betula platyphylla）为主的落叶阔叶林和油松（Pinus tabulaeformis）为主的针阔混交林三种典型暖温带森林生态系统的碳平衡差异，了解未来北京山区这三种暖温带森林生态系统的碳源汇功能，认识气候变化和大气CO2浓度升高对净初级生产力（Net primary productivity, NPP）、净生态系统碳交换（Net ecosystem exchange, NEE）、土壤异养呼吸（Heterotrophic respiration, Rh）和碳储量（Carbon biomass, C biomass）的影响，以及不同生态系统碳平衡对气候变化响应的异质性。 结果表明，未来100年两种气候情景下三种森林生态系统的NPP和Rh均增加，并且A2情景下增加的程度更大。由于三种生态系统树种组成的不同，未来气候情景下各自NPP和Rh增加的比例不同，导致三者NEE的变化也相异：100年后辽东栎林由碳汇转变为弱碳源，白桦林仍保持为碳汇但功能减弱，油松林成为一个更大的碳汇。三种森林生态系统的碳生物量在未来气候情景下均增大，21世纪末与20世纪末相比：辽东栎林在A2情景下碳生物量增加的比例为27.6%，大于B2情景下的19.3%；白桦林和油松林在B2情景下碳生物量增加的比例分别为34.2%和52.2%，大于A2情景下的30.8%和28.4%。各森林类型碳平衡状况不同，原因除气候因素外，主要是由于树种组成的差异所导致。SRES A2和B2两种气候情景相比，相对较低的排放情景（B2）下，生态系统有更高的碳储量。

辽河三角洲芦苇湿地生态系统水碳通量动态及其控制机制

全球变化背景下人类生存环境及社会经济的可持续发展要求，使得水循环和碳循环成为科学研究的关注点。湿地与森林、海洋并称为全球三大生态系统，与生态平衡、人类生存和经济社会可持续发展息息相关，特别是湿地的碳汇功能使得其在全球碳循环中具有重要作用。我国湿地面积占亚洲第一位，世界第四位，占世界湿地面积的11.9% 。但是，与森林、草地与农田等生态系统相比，湿地水碳循环控制机制研究的甚少，制约着湿地生态系统的水碳管理。 本论文基于2005~2007 年盘锦芦苇湿地生态系统野外观测站的涡度相关系统的水碳通量和气象环境因子的连续观测数据，结合芦苇湿地生态系统的生物学调查资料，较系统地分析了芦苇湿地生态系统水汽通量和碳通量的动态特征，探讨了不同时间尺度芦苇湿地生态系统水汽通量和碳通量的环境控制机制。主要结论如下： (1)芦苇湿地生态系统蒸散的日、季变化显著。2005~2007 年盘锦芦苇湿地生态系统的年蒸散量分别为432、480 和445 mm。非生长季(11 月~次年4 月)对全年蒸散量的贡献约13~16%，表明在湿地蒸散年总量的估算中不能忽略非生长季的贡献。 (2)关于动力作用和热力作用对芦苇湿地蒸散的贡献表明，能量是驱动芦苇湿地蒸散的重要因素，在小时至月尺度上均起着主导作用；时间尺度越长，能量因子对蒸散变异的解释率越大。仅温度就能解释蒸散月总量变异的95%左右。但是，随着时间尺度的降低，水分条件如饱和水汽压差、相对湿度，对芦苇湿地蒸散的作用逐渐显现。降雨和蒸散的变化虽然没有统计上的相关性，但短时段的降雨可能导致雨后蒸散增强，而持续多天的阴雨天气却能导致蒸散量连续下降。 (3)基于芦苇湿地生态系统作物系数(kc)具有显著日间变异的事实，发展了耦合气温、相对湿度和净辐射影响的芦苇湿地日作物系数模型，弥补了国际粮农组织建议的蒸发散估算模型FAO56 缺乏适宜湿地作物系数的不足。 (4)芦苇湿地生态系统呼吸呈单峰型季节变化，2005~2007 年生态系统呼吸的年总量分别为834、894 和872 g C m-2 yr-1，非生长季芦苇湿地的生态系统呼吸碳排放量为102~136 g C m-2 season-1，占全年生态系统呼吸总量的12~16%。这说明，非生长季湿地生态系统的碳排放通量不可忽视。温度是小时至月尺度的生态系统呼吸控制因子；同时，生物因素也对芦苇湿地生态系统呼吸有显著影响。生态系统呼吸对温度的响应呈指数函数关系，二者间的响应受土壤水分的影响。当表层土壤含水量(5 cm) 为20~25%时，芦苇湿地生态系统呼吸的潜力(Reco,10)最大。生态系统呼吸的日值与地上生物量、叶面积指数呈对数正相关，而与冠层高度呈显著二次曲线关系。生态系统呼吸的年际差异并不是由温度变化引起，而与植被生长状况密切相关。 (5)芦苇湿地生态系统的净碳交换季节变化明显，变化范围在-12.9~4.2 g C m-2 day-1 之间。一般在5~9 月表现为大气CO2 的汇，其余月份为碳源。其中，净碳吸收最大的月份为6、7 月，而净碳排放最大的月份为4、10 月。2005~2007 年的年碳收支分别为-55、-230 和-53 g C m-2 yr-1，呈碳汇。 (6)不同时间尺度的净碳交换控制因子不同。小时尺度上，影响芦苇湿地生态系统净碳交换的环境因子主要是光合有效辐射(PAR) 。芦苇湿地生态系统光合作用的光响应参数(α、Amax 和Reco)随温度指数上升，而与叶面积指数呈线性正相关。光响应参数的这种显著季节波动表明，在生态系统碳循环模型中不应该将生态系统的光合作用参数视为常数，应该考虑采用光响应参数与环境和生物因子间的定量关系来反映光合作用光响应参数动态。日尺度上，温度是芦苇湿地碳交换的主要控制因子，湿地净碳交换在15℃左右由正值变为负值，芦苇湿地由碳源变为碳汇。除温度外，饱和水汽压差对日尺度净碳交换波动也有影响，二者呈二次曲线关系(U 型)，当饱和水汽压差在0.8 kPa 附近时，芦苇湿地净碳吸收达到最大。月尺度上，影响芦苇湿地净碳交换的主要环境因子依然是温度，二者间表现出“非对称响应”特征。 (7)对芦苇湿地碳交换各组分间的关系分析表明，芦苇湿地生态系统呼吸和净碳交换均受总光合生产力的显著影响，即通过光合作用产物来源控制。

Phytoplankton biomass size structure and its regulation in the Southern Yellow Sea (China): Seasonal variability

Phytoplankton size structure plays a significant role in controlling the carbon flux of marine pelagic ecosystems. The mesoscale distribution and seasonal variation of total and size-fractionated phytoplankton biomass in surface waters. as measured by chlorophyll a (Chl a), was studied in the Southern Yellow Sea using data from four cruises during 2006-2007. The distribution of Chl a showed a high degree of spatial and temporal variation in the study area. Chl a concentrations were relatively high in the summer and autumn, with a mean of 142 and 1.27 mg m(-3), respectively. Conversely, in the winter and spring. the average Chl a levels were only 098 and 0.99 mg m(-3) Total Chl a showed a clear decreasing gradient from coastal areas to the open sea in the summer, autumn and winter cruises. Patches of high Chl a were observed in the central part of the Southern Yellow Sea in the spring due to the onset of the phytoplankton bloom. The eutrophic coastal waters contributed at least 68% of the total phytoplankton biomass in the surface layer. Picophytoplankton showed a consistent and absolute dominance in the central region of the Southern Yellow Sea (>40%) in all of the cruises, while the proportion of microphytoplankton was the highest in coastal waters The relative proportions of pico- and nanophytoplankton decreased with total biomass, whereas the proportion of the micro-fraction increased with total biomass. Relationships between phytoplankton biomass and environmental factors were also analysed. The results showed that the onset of the spring bloom was highly dependent on water column stability. Phytoplankton growth was limited by nutrient availability in the summer due to the strong thermocline. The combined effects of P-limitation and vertical mixing in the autumn restrained the further increase of phytoplankton biomass in the Surface layer. The low phytoplankton biomass in winter was caused by vertical dispersion due to intense mixing. Compared with the availability of nutrients. temperature did not seem to cause direct effects on phytoplankton biomass and its size structure. Although interactions of many different environmental factors affected phytoplankton distributions. hydrodynamic conditions seemed to be the dominant factor. Phytoplankton size structure was determined mainly by the size-differential capacity in acquiring resource. Short time scale events, such as the spring bloom and the extension of Yangtze River plume, can have substantial influences, both on the total Chl a concentration and on the size structure of the phytoplankton. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Studies on growth rate and grazing mortality rate by microzooplankton of size-fractionated phytoplankton in spring and summer in the Jiaozhou Bay, China

Dilution experiments were performed to examine the growth rate and grazing mortality rate of size-fractionated phytoplankton at three typical stations, inside and outside the bay, in the spring and summer of 2003 in the Jiaozhou Bay, China. in spring, the phytoplankton community structure was similar among the three stations, and was mainly composed of nanophytoplankton, such as, Skeletonema costatum and Cylindrotheca closterium. The structure became significantly different for the three stations in summer, when the dominant species at Stas A, B and C were Chaetoceros curvisetus, Pseudo-nitzschia delicatissima, C. affinis, C. debilis, Coscinodiscus oculus-iridis and Paralia sulcata respectively. Tintinnopsis beroidea and T. tsingtaoensis were the dominant species in spring, whereas the microzooplankton was apparently dominated by Strombidium sp. in summer. Pico- and nanophytoplankton had a relatively greater growth rate than microzooplankton both in spring and summer. The growth rate and grazing mortality rate were 0.18 similar to 0.44 and 0.12 similar to 1.47 d(-1) for the total phytoplankton and 0.20 similar to 0.55 and 0.21 similar to 0.37 d-1 for nanophytoplankton in spring respectively. In summer, the growth rate and grazing mortality rate were 0.38 similar to 0.71 and 0.27 similar to 0.60 d-1 for the total phytoplankton and 0.11 similar to 1.18 and 0.41 similar to 0.72 d(-1) for nano- and microphytoplankton respectively. The carbon flux consumed by microzooplankton per day was 7.68 similar to 39.81 mg/m(3) in spring and 12.03 similar to 138.22 mg/m(3) in summer respectively. Microzooplankton ingested 17.56%similar to 92.19% of the phytoplankton standing stocks and 31.77%similar to 467.88% of the potential primary productivity in spring; in contrast, they ingested 34.60%similar to 83.04% of the phytoplankton standing stocks and 71.28%similar to 98.80% of the potential primary productivity in summer. Pico- and nanophytoplankton appeared to have relatively greater rates of growth and grazing mortality than microphytoplankton during the experimental period. The grazing rate of microzooplankton in summer was a little bit greater than that in spring because of the relatively higher incubation temperature and different dominant microzooplankton species. Microzooplankton preferred ingesting nanophytoplankton to microphytoplankton in spring, while they preferred ingesting picophytoplankton to nanophytoplankton and microphytoplankton in summer. Compared with the results of dilution experiments performed in various waters worldwide, the results are in the middle range.

Fast microzooplankton grazing on fast-growing, low-biomass phytoplankton: a case study in spring in Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Inland Bays and Delaware Bay

Dilution experiments were performed to examine the growth and grazing mortality rates of picophytoplankton (< 2 mu m), nanophytoplankton (2-20 mu m), and microphytoplankton (> 20 mu m) at stations in the Chesapeake Bay (CB), the Delaware Inland Bays (DIB) and the Delaware Bay (DB), in early spring 2005. At station CB microphytoplankton, including chain-forming diatoms were dominant, and the microzooplankton assemblage was mainly composed of the tintinnid Tintinnopsis beroidea. At station DIB, the dominant species were microphytoplanktonic dinoflagellates, while the microzooplankton community was mainly composed of copepod nauplii and the oligotrich ciliate Strombidium sp. At station DB, nanophytoplankton were dominant components, and Strombidium and Tintinnopsis beroidea were the co-dominant microzooplankton. The growth rate and grazing mortality rate were 0.13-3.43 and 0.09-1.92 d(-1) for the different size fractionated phytoplankton. The microzooplankton ingested 73, 171, and 49% of standing stocks, and 95, 70, and 48% of potential primary productivity for total phytoplankton at station CB, DIB, and DB respectively. The carbon flux for total phytoplankton consumed by microzooplankton was 1224.11, 100.76, and 85.85 mu g C 1(-1) d(-1) at station CB, DIB, and DB, respectively. According to the grazing mortality rate, carbon consumption rate and carbon flux turn over rates, microzooplankton in study area mostly preferred to graze on picophytoplankton, which was faster growing but was lowest biomass component of the phytoplankton. The faster grazing on Fast-Growing-Low-Biomass (FGLB) phenomenon in coastal regions is explained as a resource partitioning strategy. This quite likely argues that although microzooplankton grazes strongly on phytoplankton in these regions, these microzooplankton grazers are passive.

CO2H2O and energy exchange of an Inner Mongolia steppe ecosystem during a dry and wet year

We used an eddy covariance technique to measure evapotranspiration and carbon flux over two very different growing seasons for a typical steppe on the Inner Mongolia Plateau, China. The rainfall during the 2004 growing season (344.7 mm) was close to the annual average (350.43 mm). In contrast, precipitation during the 2005 growing season was significantly lower than average (only 126 mm). The wet 2004 growing season had a higher peak evapotranspiration (4 mm day(-1)) than did the dry 2005 growing season (3.3 mm day(-1)). In 2004, latent heat flux was mainly a consumption resource for net radiation, accounting for similar to 46% of net radiation. However, sensible heat flux dominated the energy budget over the whole growing season in 2005, accounting for 60% of net radiation. The evaporative rate (LE/R-n) dropped by a factor of four from the non-soil stress to soil water limiting conditions. Maximum half-hourly CO2 uptake was -0.68 mg m(-2) s(-1) and maximum ecosystem exchange was 4.3 g CO2 m(-2) day(-1) in 2004. The 2005 drought growing stage had a maximum CO2 exchange value of only -0.22 mg m(-2) s(-1) and a continuous positive integrated-daily CO2 flux over the entire growing season, i.e. the ecosystem became a net carbon source. Soil respiration was temperature dependent when the soil was under non-limiting soil moisture conditions, but this response declined with soil water stress. Water availability and a high vapor pressure deficit severely limited carbon fixing of this ecosystem; thus, during the growing season, the capacity to fix CO2 was closely related to both timing and frequency of rainfall events. (c) 2007 Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Soil organic carbon storage and soil CO2 flux in the alpine meadow ecosystem

High-resolution sampling, measurements of organic carbon contents and C-14 signatures of selected four soil profiles in the Haibei Station situated on the northeast Tibetan Plateau, and application of C-14 tracing technology were conducted in an attempt to investigate the turnover times of soil organic carbon and the soil-CO2 flux in the alpine meadow ecosystem. The results show that the organic carbon stored in the soils varies from 22.12x10(4) kg C hm(-2) to 30.75x10(4) kg C hm(-2) in the alpine meadow ecosystems, with an average of 26.86x10(4) kg C hm(-2). Turnover times of organic carbon pools increase with depth from 45 a to 73 a in the surface soil horizon to hundreds of years or millennia or even longer at the deep soil horizons in the alpine meadow ecosystems. The soil-CO2 flux ranges from 103.24 g C m(-2) a(-1) to 254.93 gC m(-2) a(-1), with an average of 191.23 g C m(-2) a(-1). The CO2 efflux produced from microbial decomposition of organic matter varies from 73.3 g C m(-2) a(-1) to 181 g C m(-2) a(-1). More than 30% of total soil organic carbon resides in the active carbon pool and 72.8%. 81.23% of total CO2 emitted from organic matter decomposition results from the topsoil horizon (from 0 cm to 10 cm) for the Kobresia meadow. Responding to global warming, the storage, volume of flow and fate of the soil organic carbon in the alpine meadow ecosystem of the Tibetan Plateau will be changed, which needs further research.

A stable carbon isotopic approach for understanding the CO2 flux at the Haibei Alpine Meadow Ecosystem - A simple model

Although respiration of organisms and biomass as well as fossil fuel burning industrial production are identified as the major sources, the CO2 flux is still unclear due to the lack of proper measurements. A mass-balance approach that exploits differences in the carbon isotopic signature (delta(13)C) of CO2 Sources and sinks was introduced and may provide a means of reducing uncertainties in the atmospheric budget. delta(13)C measurements of atmospheric CO2 yielded an average of - 10.3 parts per thousand relative to the Peedee Belemnite standard; soil and plants had a narrow range from -25.09 parts per thousand to -26.51 parts per thousand and averaged at -25.80 parts per thousand. Based on the fact of steady fractionation and enrichment during respiration of mitochondria, we obtained the emission Of CO2 of 35.451 mol m(-2) a(-1) and CO2 flux of 0.2149 mu mol m(-2) s(-)1. The positive CO2 flux indicated the Haibei Alpine Meadow Ecosystem a source rather than a sink. The mass-balance model can be applied for other ecosystem even global carbon cycles because it neglects the complicated process of carbon metabolism, however just focuses on stable carbon isotopic compositions in any of compartments of carbon sources and sinks. (C) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The change of gaseous carbon fluxes following the switch of dominant producers from macrophytes to algae in a shallow subtropical lake of China

Successions of lake ecosystems from clear-water, macrophyte-rich conditions into turbid states with abundant phytoplankton have taken place in many shallow lakes in China. However, little is know about the change of carbon fluxes in lakes during such processes. We conducted a case study in Lake Biandantang to investigate the change of carbon fluxes during such a regime shift. Dissolved aquatic carbon and gaseous carbon (methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2)) across air-water interface in three sites with different vegetation covers and compositions were studied and compared. CH4 emissions from three sites were 0.62 +/- 0.36, 0.70 +/- 0.36, and 1.31 +/- 0.57 mg m(-2) h(-1), respectively. Correlation analysis showed that macrophytes, rather than phytoplankton, directly positively affected CH4 emission. CO2 fluxes of three sites in Lake Biandantang were significantly different, and the average values were 77.8 +/- 20.4, 52.2 +/- 14.1 and 3.6 +/- 26.8 mg m(-2) h(-1), respectively. There were an evident trend that the larger macrophyte biomass, the lower CO2 emissions. Correlation analysis showed that in different sites, dominant plant controlled CO2 flux across air-water interface. In a year cycle, the percents of gaseous carbon release from lake accounting for net primary production were significantly different (from 39.3% to 2.8%), indicating that with the decline of macrophytes and regime shift, the lake will be a larger carbon source to the atmosphere. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.